"Don't make the same mistake" - Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten reveals warning that he issued to Shohei Ohtani during their meeting

After years of trying, the Los Angeles Dodgers were finally able to land Shohei Ohtani. The two sides agreed to an earth-shattering 10-year, $700 million contract, breaking the record for the largest professional sports contract ever signed.

LA has long been actively scouting Ohtani. After he graduated high school, they tried to acquire Ohtani to make him the first Japanese player to sign out of high school and play in the big leagues.

That plan fell through, and when Ohtani was posted in 2017, the Dodgers tried to sign the two-way phenom again. He then signed with the Los Angeles Angels. However, when Ohtani became a free agent this offseason, CEO Stan Kasten was not going to let him slip through his fingers again.

Kasten reveals what he said to Ohtani during their free-agent visit:

"I told him during our meetings as we were talking that, you know, we tried to sign him 10 years ago when he was coming out of high school. He decided to play (in Japan). We tried to sign him six years ago. And I said, ‘You know, both our lives would have been very different if you had come here 10 years ago.’ And I said, ‘Don’t make the same mistake,'" Kasten said via Dodgers Nation.

Kasten told Shohei Ohtani that he should have picked the Blue Crew all along. If he had, he would at least be a World Series winner and have been in the postseason every single season.

Now, Kasten has his guy, and he could not be more thrilled. They are building something special and sustainable in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers might not be done spending after signing Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow

Dodgers Ohtani Baseball

While some believed the Dodgers would be done spending after signing Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking contract, they quickly realized they were wrong. During Ohtani's press conference, the team announced the addition of Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot.

Glasnow quickly signed a five-year extension as he was heading to free agency following the 2024 season. It is a great addition while Ohtani gets his arm healthy this season.

However, this team is still not done adding players. They are still heavily interested in obtaining Yoshinobu Yamamoto and are considering offering him a $250-300 million deal.

Landing Yamamoto would be the stamp on an insane offseason. Imagine a rotation in 2025 that consists of Glasnow, Ohtani, and Yamamoto. That would be one feared starting rotation.

Yamamoto has expressed his desire to win; if that is the case, the Dodgers make the most sense. They are built to compete for championships for years to come.

As players start flying off the board in free agency, this is a situation fans will want to keep their eye on.